On the Bread Trail is a delicious recipe for Jewish cultural discovery: a generous measure of fascinating history, a cup of baking know-how, a helping of rabbinic wisdom, and a pinch of humor. Rabbi Debbie Prinz follows Jewish breads across centuries and continents—from Ethiopia and Yemen to North Africa, Europe, Israel, and America—to reveal how our loaves carry stories of migration, adaptation, ritual, hospitality, identity, and belonging. This is so much more than a cookbook; it is an invitation to break bread with generations of Jews who came before us and a reminder that im ein kemach—if there is no flour, there is no Torah.
—Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, author of Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi's Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging
Anyone curious about Jewish history and bread will devour this book. Rabbi Deborah Prinz brings together deep historical knowledge, compelling storytelling and reflection, and recipes that trace the remarkably diverse world of Jewish bread traditions. Spanning communities around the globe and drawing on countless Jewish texts, this book takes readers far beyond the familiar territory of challah, babka, and matzah.
—Shannon Sarna, author of Modern Jewish Baker and Modern Jewish Comfort Food
A delicious feast of a book that is guaranteed to nourish the body and soul. Rabbi Prinz provides the perfect blend of history, recipes, and spiritual insights, paying attention to the multiplicity of Jewish traditions across time and space. This book is for anyone who enjoys baking, eating, or just knowing more about Jewish culture.
—Laura Arnold Leibman, PhD, Leonard J. Milberg ’53 Professor in American Jewish Studies, Princeton University, and author of Once We Were Slaves: The Extraordinary Journey of a Multiracial Jewish Family
A book as substantial as it is delicious, and so soul affirming that you should say HaMotzi before reading it.
—David Sax, author of Save the Deli: In Search of Perfect Pastrami, Crusty Rye, and the Heart of Jewish Delicatessen
This book is a delicious dive into how Jews around the world have made meaning through bread and other treats. As Prinz reveals, Jews have expressed their identities and sustained their communities through baking and breaking bread.
—Rachel B. Gross, PhD, John & Marcia Goldman Chair in American Jewish Studies, San Francisco State University, and author of Beyond the Synagogue: Jewish Nostalgia as Religious Practice
With extensive research and a clear love for the topic, Rabbi Deborah Prinz takes us on an exploration of the place bread holds in Jewish identity and memory. Even I got hungry and learned new things reading this book—and I own a bakery.
—Niki Russ Federman, fourth-generation owner, Russ & Daughters, and cookbook author
